


What you learn when you grow up

by angelheaded_hipsters



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Character Death, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-15
Updated: 2014-12-15
Packaged: 2018-03-01 13:51:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2775404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angelheaded_hipsters/pseuds/angelheaded_hipsters
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes you don't get that chance.</p>
            </blockquote>





	What you learn when you grow up

Ari learned about birthdays when she was six years old. She learned about them because she’d gone out walking with her mother and darted into a toyshop before Kendra could stop her. The lady inside had asked if it was her birthday, or if she was buying a lovely present for a playmate’s party. She had been very confused, and although the lady at the counter passed it off as shyness, she was not afraid to pester her mother about it loudly and persistently on the way home. What was a birthday? Why would you get presents?

That year was the same year she’d learned to draw fireflies to her. She could cup whole glowing clusters of them in her hands and make them dance across her skin like living kisses.

It was her fault, she decided afterwards, for not being careful about when and where she did this. She remembered the way the ground up bioluminescence smeared across her hands, the salty, dirty taste of the Muggle boy’s fingers as he shoved the insect remains into her mouth. She remembered the texture of her father’s fancy robe when she hugged him goodbye before the trial.

At any rate, age six had been a defining year for Ari. Not only did she become envious and sulky when she found out hers was probably the only family in Britain that didn’t celebrate birthdays, she also became traumatized and self-repressive. Fun!

Ari thought that maybe when she phrased things wittily like that, even just in her head, it made them better. She hadn’t seen any definite improvement yet, but one could hope.

She wiped sweat from her brow and sighed, slumping back into the dusty armchair she’d been perched on. It was an ideal spot for looking outside, since tree branches covered the window next to it but she could still get glimpses of goings-on in the street. The attic was boiling hot this time of year, but she didn’t feel like going downstairs. It was around midday, and she could hear the kettle singing from the kitchen. That meant only one thing: Gellert would be here any minute.

Albus told her she had no reason to dislike Gellert—he’d actually shouted this at her just the other day as she ran to the attic, breathing hard—but she and Ab knew better. Gellert didn’t have anything against Ari, strictly speaking, but he loathed Ab, and Ari couldn’t stand for that. Ab told her what he got up to when he was still going to school, too, and she was revolted—not just because of what he’d done, but because he damn well knew he was going to get expelled, and didn’t even care about forfeiting his education. There were plenty of people who didn’t even have a chance to learn.

Ari heard a knock at the door, and sure enough, it was Gellert’s signature sharp rap. The door opened, and he and her brother exchanged words. Ari couldn’t hear what they were saying, but a moment later, the attic door opened and Ab poked his head up.

“He hasn’t been in the house ten seconds and they’re already spewing this bullshite; can you—Merlin, Ari, it’s boiling up here! How can you stand it?”

Ari chuckled softly. “Dunno. You get used to it, I guess. Where’ve you been all day?”

“Albus made me do the shopping.” Ab stuck his nose in the air, imitating his brother’s pompous manner. “Too busy with his precious _notes_ on whatever to be bothered with such a common task.” He dropped his eyes and shifted to a more serious tone. “How’ve you been today, Ariana?”

“Fine.” She refused to inject any expression into the phrase.

“Just… you can talk to me; you know that, right?”

“Ab, we’ve had this conversation nearly a million times!”

“Ok, ok.” Ab raised his hands and shrugged in hopes of diffusing her anger. “Sorry. I should probably go put the shopping away anyways or it’ll spoil and Al will have a go at me. You should come downstairs for some food though once _they_ go up to his room.”

“Sure. Just let me know.”

Aberforth backed down the attic ladder, and Ari closed her eyes as his sweat-dampened head disappeared from view. She loved Ab fiercely, but they did not talk about emotions. Not even the big ones. Not even after the funeral That was part of why she loved him. She could be simple around him. He knew what kinds of foods she could bear to eat on days when her vision was clouded and she could only choke out enigmatic phrases comprised entirely of monosyllabic words. When she was spinning or seeing things or choking on the power all tangled inside of her, Aberforth brought her back to earth. That was his job, showing her that everything was uncomplicate. If she wanted philosophy and sentiment, she could get Al to talk her ear off any day.

There was a crash from the kitchen, and she shook her head; Ab must’ve dropped a pot. But then she heard yelling, and it was definitely Gellert’s voice. That was not good.

Holding her breath, she stood up, and crept to the attic door. Her heart thumped in her chest and she felt as light as air, almost like she might vibrate out of her skin. Gellert was still shouting. Sure, he’d gotten into a temper around Aberforth before, but it felt like he’d never been this loud. What had Ab done? What would Gellert do?

Slowly, silently, she opened the attic door and snuck down the ladder, blessing her body and mind for letting her be quiet at that moment. She tiptoed down the hallway and strained her ears; Gellert’s shouting had quieted to a cold growl.

“…and it’s none of your business, little blood traitor. So why don’t you just back off and the adults will handle it.”

“You’re disgusting.” That was Aberforth.

“Ab—“ Gellert cut Albus off.

“You barely know me, kid. You don’t understand.”

“I understand enough! And you’re going to go off with your grand plan, and what about me ‘n Ari, hm, Albus?” Ari froze in the hallway, gulping shallow, panicked breaths. “You'd better give it up now. You can't move her, she's in no fit state, you can't take her with you, wherever it is you're planning to go, when you're making your clever speeches, trying to whip yourselves up a following.”

“You son of a bitch—“

“Gellert—“

“No, Al, side with him like you want to; you’ve always wanted to get rid of us.”

Ariana peeked around the door and nearly started crying. All three of them had their wands out, their bodies taut and aggressive. Gellert and Aberforth were aiming at each other, but Albus’s wand pointed at a spot between the two of them, as though he couldn’t decide.

“That’s enough,” snarled Gellert. “ _Crucio!”_

Ab dropped to the kitchen floor, writhing.

“NO!” Ariana flew out from behind the doorframe, hardly knowing what she was doing, only that this had to stop, now, right now—

“Ariana, get back.” This was Albus and he, always so collected, sounded scared and angry.

“Get out of the way, you little—“ Ab aimed a wordless curse at Gellert, snarling through the pain, and Gellert flew backwards with a band into a kitchen chair.

Ari screamed, and then all three wands were going off, curses ricocheting and dishes breaking. A voice was repeating  _wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong_  and it  was probably her voice but maybe it was her mother’s voice or that Muggle boy jeering or her poor father  _wrong wrong wrong_ . She flung her fists out and she could feel power radiating from them STOP THIS that was what her fists said, please—

She looked up and saw, silhouetted by the harsh light of some spell, Aberforth’s cry, Albus’s expression of desperation, and Gellert’s harsh sneer. Their wands twisted and her vision turned to a maze of white and red and sparks; this was magic with intent to kill and she had never felt something so brutal.

Something punched her in the side. Only it wasn’t a fist, and she could feel lightning spreading from the point of impact. This was that brutality. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Why didn’t they just stop, and talk? No…

“Ab-“ she choked out, and he turned to look at where she had collapsed onto the floor, but there was a darkness spreading from her insides into her eyes and ears and everything and where was he? Where was her brother? “Ab…”

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, I did borrow a tiny bit of dialogue from JKR. Also, I made myself sad.


End file.
